This invention relates generally to game calls of the type used to attract animals while hunting and, in particular, to a forced-air or inhale game call which may be remotely operated.
When hunting, it is often advantageous to use an animal call to attract game. There are numerous blow-through inhale/exhale calls available, including grunt tubes for deer, screech calls, doe bleats, and predator calls.
At times it is desirable to operate such a call in a hand""s free manner. Toward this end, U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,054 resides in a weapon mounted wild animal game caller which finds particular application in attracting deer. The caller, which may be mounted and attached to an archery bow or to a hunting firearm, emits a grunting sound which is desirable for short range hunting, making it the choice for many bow hunters. The activation of sound is accomplished with an air reservoir that is filled with a resilient filamentous polyester type fiber. When mounted to an archer""s bow, it may be operated with the hand even with a fully drawn bow. In an alternative embodiment, the game caller uses an electronic recording system to store a plurality of prerecorded calls, such as deer, geese, duck and the like. The recording media may be either a magnetic tape recorder or a digital synthesizer having a plurality of game calls that are stored in digital memory. The entire game calling system can be worn on one""s belt and activated silently by depressing a bow mounted or stock mounted switch.
It is an object of U.S. Pat. No. 5, 613,891 to provide an animal caller that is completely hands-free and mouth-free and is foot-operated by the user for producing a continuous and on-going animal call, leaving the users"" upper body area and hands free for taking a proper shot of the animal being sought and called with a bow, gun, or camera. The animal caller includes a bellows assembly for producing a strong current of air disposed within a pouch pocket, and a reed assembly for producing a specific animal sound being detachably connected to the bellows assembly. The reed assembly has detachable and interchangeable reed housings for different animal calls, and the reed assembly has at least two flexible and interlocking calling tubes movable relative to each other to vary the pitch and/or tone of the animal call and to direct the animal call to a given direction.
An apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,590 for calling game animals when a user is hunting with an archery bow. The apparatus comprises a main body connectable to the archery bow, and a conduit. A first end of the conduit is attached to the main body, and a second end of the conduit is attached to a bow string of the archery bow. A game attracting call can thereafter be produced when the user either draws or blows air through the conduit, such as by causing a reed in the main body to vibrate.
On occasion, it is desirable to attract an animal to a clearing or other location remote from the position of the hunter. Remotely controlled game calls have been therefore been invented for this purpose. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,592 is directed to remote control audio apparatus for use by hunters having the capability of either recording or reproducing predator calls, game calls and the like. Audio reproduction and/or recording apparatus is disposed within a weather resistant enclosure. A radio transmitter and receiver is provided for generating, transmitting and receiving operating radio signals under manual control for remotely operating the audio apparatus. The radio remote control receiver is detachable from the audio apparatus. In one embodiment, a weather resistant external speaker may be stored within the weather resistant enclosure or detachably mounted to the exterior of the weather resistant enclosure.
Some remotely controllable device employ a string pulled at a distance. U.S. Pat. No. 5,402,102, for example, teaches a device, which is operated at a distance by pulling on a string acting upon a bellows, for blowing a stream of air under pressure into a game caller.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,793 discloses a game call blowing device for blowing air through a forced air game call remote from a user. One end of an elongate flexible cord is coupled to the top face of a sound-producing canister. The other end of the flexible cord may be grasped by the hand of the user or secured to the clothing of the user such as to the belt of the user. In use, the pulling of the cord moves an annular disk towards the bottom face of the canister, thereby forcing air in the canister between the annular disk and the bottom face of the canister into the tube from the first end of the tube and out of the tube through the second end of the tube.
This invention improves upon the existing art by providing a remotely operable game call utilizing an air tube as opposed to a string or other device for remote operation. This offers several advantages, including the fact that the air tube remains stationary during use, and does not get tangled in brush or rustle leaves which might alert an animal to a hunter""s presence. The invention is applicable to any type of blow-through or inhale call, including grunt tubes for deer, predator calls, screech calls, doe bleats, and other types of exhale units.
An important aspect of the invention is the inclusion of an air reservoir coupling the air tube to the call itself. The reservoir provides a number of desirable functions, including the containment of a volume of air to sufficient to operate the call to produce the sound for which it was intended by blowing on directly by a user. In addition, the use of a reservoir having an inlet and an outlet allows the outlet to be designed with a substantial universal fitting, enabling different kinds of calls to be attached thereto in an interchangeable manner, in addition to being reversed, to facilitate exhale and inhale operation.
In the preferred embodiment, latex or other flexible tubing having a diameter preferably in the range of xe2x85x9c inch to xc2xd inch O.D., or thereabouts, and preferably with limited wall expansion, to ensure that the air pressure goes to operating the call as opposed to stretching the tube. The reservoir, likewise, is preferably of a semi-stretchable material, such that when fully inflated, it does not expand a significant amount further, again, for an efficient use of the user""s breath. As an option, at least the reservoir may be contained in a preferably camouflaged bag to visibly obscure the apparatus in the field. If desired, the bag may be of a drawstring variety, enabling the entire assembly, including the air tube, to be contained therein during periods of non-use.